Chatuphum finishes fourth place at Rio Games
Thailand’s weightlifter Chatuphum Chinnawong, who finished fourth place at the London Games four years ago, remained at the same position in Rio de Janeiro when the 23-year-old from Nakhon Ratchasima lifted an aggregate 356kg in the men’s 77kg division on
Kazakhstan’s world champion Nijat Rahimov stunned the London Games winner Lyu Xiaojun from China to capture the gold medal with a total lift of 379kg, the similar performance by the Chinese. However, with the lighter bodyweight, Rahimov lifted his way to victory and the first gold of Kazakhstan in the Rio Games. Egyptian Mahmoud Mohamed had to be content with bronze medal after lifting the combined 361kg.
Chatuphum, who took silver at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore and bronze medal at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, lifted 160kg in his first snatch attempt, but failed in lifting 165kg in the second effort. He was successful in lifting 165kg in his final attempt.
In the clean and jerk event, Chatuphum failed in lifting 191kg in the first two attempts. He was successful in his last-ditch attempt with the similar lifts of 191kg for the combined lifts of 356kg in the Olympic Total. Chatuphum came in fourth place overall.
The Thai weightlifting squad have so far claimed four medals including two gold in Rio de Janeiro to help the Thailand athletes delegation finish at 11th position at the medal tally of the Rio Games as of 7.32am Bkk time. Thailand’s two gold medals came from Sopita Tanasan and Sukanya Srisurat in the women’s 48kg and 58kg classes respectively. The Thai weightlifters also claimed one silver from Pimsiri Sirikaew and one bronze from Sinphet Kruaithong in the respective women’s 58kg and men’s 56kg divisions.
